View full sizeCandidates in Westlake's contested school board and council races shared their views Tuesday during a forum sponsored by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters.Marvin Fong, Plain Dealer File

WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Candidates for the city's school board and council seats outlined their qualifications and fielded questions submitted by the audience during Tuesday's forum sponsored by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters.

It was one in a series of candidates nights that the League is hosting in various communities to give voters the chance to educate themselves before the November election.

Leading off the forum were the three candidates for two seats on the school board -- John Finucane, Brad Lamb and incumbent Barb Leszynski. All three said they intend to vote for Westlake's 5.4-mill school levy on November's ballot.

Leszynski said the district has been recognized by the state for its efficient spending and use of shared services. "The quality of the programs is very important to the citizens, the parents of Westlake," she said. "We cannot afford more cuts to our programs." Finucane echoed that, saying if cuts continue, the value of an education in Westlake could decline. Lamb said that while he'll vote for the levy, as a board member he would make sure that the district is operating efficiently.

A question submitted by someone in the audience asked the candidates to discuss what cuts the district could make without affecting the quality of education. Lamb said there is always room for cuts and suggested that one option could be for the district to "go paperless."

Finucane said if the district continues to cut, soon the only thing Westlake will be left with will be reading and math. "Westlake schools is a people business," he said, adding that because personnel costs account for so much of the district's budget, big cuts would mean fewer people and that would have an effect on the curriculum.

All three candidates were asked about the Common Core, new multi-state academic standards in math and language arts. Lamb said, "We need to make sure we provide our kids with the best education possible." But he said he questions whether legislators know better than local residents how to educate children. Leszynski said she supports the more rigorous standards because they are meant to better prepare students. Finucane also said he fully supports the Common Core standards, noting that most states have adopted them to elevate the level of education in America.

The City Council races feature Lynda Appel and Shamus Cusick in Ward 1. Nate Cross and Nick Nunnari are facing off in Ward 2, with incumbent Mark Getsay and Robert Koenig in Ward 6. Responding to an audience member's question, several candidates listed the recent announcement that Cleveland wants to impose an extra $291 on Westlake residents' quarterly water bills as among the challenges facing the city. Cleveland contends that it should impose that fee for the next five years because Westlake intends to withdraw from the Cleveland Water Department.

Candidates also were asked to discuss regionalism. Appel said that while she supports collaboration, it is critical that the level of service to Westlake residents is not compromised. Cusick noted that West Shore communities already work together, something that he said makes sense.

Cross said regionalism is worth exploring if it saves money and provides better services but added that he is wary about giving up local control. Nunnari said he thinks regionalism is inevitable, but said City Council should be "very, very cautious" so that Westlake isn't put in the position of bailing out communities that are not as financially stable.

Getsay said Westlake has a history of working with other communities. But while there are opportunities to explore, he said he doesn't think that a regional police force would be a viable option. Koenig said he supports regionalism and thinks that communities should work together.

Another question posed asked the candidates to discuss what the city should do to prevent the "heroin epidemic." Nunnari said he wants the schools and the city to be proactive and thinks they have been. Cross said, "I don't want to put my head in the sand and say there's no problem." He said Westlake Superintendent Dan Keenan has done a good job of working with the city's police department to teach students about the dangers of drugs.

Cusick said he doesn't think there is a heroin epidemic in Westlake, but said the key to combating drugs is to keep the police department well-funded and trained. Appel said the drug problem is real and that she's worked with nonprofits that promote educating the community and encouraging them to work together to curb drug use

Getsay also said that a drug problem has to be addressed by an entire community, noting that Westlake and neighboring cities are facing similar issues. Koenig said he finds the drug problem very upsetting and said he's seen evidence of what appears to be drug trafficking on Lake Erie.

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